Tag / Universal

by admin

2018: The Year In Movies

Movie_Reel_22

The loss of my annual long December vacation saw a slight downturn in movie watching for me, with my lowest total since 1988.  I managed to watch 55 movies last year, my seventh consecutive year under 100 and my lowest total since 1993.  Again, many things contributed to this, chiefly the insane amount of TV I’ve been watching, the greater effort made towards going out for walks, and the awful amount of time I spend either at work or getting to and from work.

Here’s a look back at the first 50 movies I did manage to watch last year and what recollection, if any, I have of them. The films are listed in the order I saw them.

The French Connection (1971)
Hailed as one of the best films of the 70s, I can’t say it plays well here in the 21st century.

Cobra (1986)
Somehow I missed this Stallone “classic” back in the day.

Table 19 (2017)
The misfit table at a wedding bands together to settle scored, both old and new.

Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2017)
The classic board game moves to the video age in this sequel.

Patriots Day (2017)
Mark Wahlberg plays the hero of the Boston Marathon bombing.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
It certainly took me a while to see the latest installment in this franchise.

Life (2017)
A team of scientists find proof that life once existed on Mars, potentially dooming life on Earth in the process.

Snatched (2017)
Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn go on vacation together and hijinks ensue.

People Like Us (2012)
When his father dies, Chris Pine learns that he had another family that needs some help.

The Layover (2017)
Two friends compete over a man when a hurricane turns their flight in to a road trip. Continue reading →

by admin

Fitbit III: Week 19

A slow start turned into a tremendous week, as I broke 60,000 steps for the first time since the end of March/beginning of April.  Things started poorly with a 3500 step day on Sunday, ending my streak of days above goal at 24.  Monday bounced back, as a concerted effort to make up for Sunday got me over 9200 steps.  Tuesday saw me working a bit late, which led to a long commute and coming in at just over my 6500 step goal.  Wednesday I was able to combine some work activity with an after-work walk to surpass 11,000 steps.  Thursday was even better, thanks to a post-work trip to Wrigley Field that ended up with over 11,300 steps.  Friday needed some last minute pacing before falling asleep to get over goal for the day.  Saturday was the big day of the week, thanks to a morning walk on a new route and Angelina’s graduation party.  When all was said and done, I ended up with over 16,200 steps, my highest total since Universal last June.

Total steps: 64,503

Daily average: 9214.7

by admin

Fitbit III: Week 8

A tremendous week, as I broke 70,000 steps for the first time since I went to Universal last June and for the first time ever in the state of Illinois.  Things got off to a good start on Sunday, as trips to a few different grocery stores contributed to just surpassing 8500 steps, my lowest total of the week.  Monday was my first 10,000 step day of the week, thanks to extra walking at work for the Jiff steps challenge.  Tuesday was the highlight of the week, clocking in over 13,000 steps thanks to extra work walking and then a neighborhood stroll once I got home.  Wednesday and Thursday fell back down under 10,000 steps, but were still strong entries.  Friday set record high temperatures, which enabled me to get outside for a walk at work plus a coffee run to get back over 10,000 steps.  Saturday again featured multiple trips to the store plus some in-home pacing to surpass 10,000 steps for the fourth time and guarantee an average of over 10,000 steps for the week.

Total steps: 70,147

Daily average: 10,021

by admin

Fitbit III: Week 7

Another great week, as my streak of 50,000+ steps weeks hits 7, I broke 60,000 steps for the first time since getting back from Universal in June, and my consecutive days over goal streak reached 55.  Things got off to a slow-ish start on Sunday, as I puttered around the house before going to a wake to barely surpass my goal.  Monday and Tuesday came up with similar totals, thanks in part to similar trips to Mariano’s for lunch and trips to Hayley’s hotel to attend to her injured back.  Wednesday was the beginning of the March Madness Jiff challenge at work, where I am on a team with 3 levels of management above me, so I worked in a few extra walks during work to cross the 11,000 step plateau.  Thursday was even better, as a post-work excursion to Milwaukee to watch Purdue in the NCAA tournament helped me surpass 12,000 steps and garner my highest single-day total since the Sprint & Stride in September.  I spent Friday in an all day workshop, but an after-work walk around the neighborhood helped propel me to 9000 steps.  Saturday was split between a trip in to the city to watch rugby with Hayley followed by another trip to Milwaukee for the next round of the NCAA tournament, ending in an 8000 step day.

Total steps: 60,740

Daily average: 8677.1

by jim

Post Mortem – House

After 8 seasons, Hugh Laurie and the folks at Fox and Universal decided that the time had come for the adventures of Dr. Gregory House to come to an end.  And, frankly, it was about time, as the show, which had been a favorite and a ratings hit, had started to become a bit stale.

There were numerous times over the course of the series where House was changed, and any one of them could have given the show more to work with.  Instead, all of them were discarded over the course of a few episodes, putting House right back where he started.  As the seasons wore on, the charms of the original premise started to wear a little thin.  Bringing in a new team of doctors had given the show a creative boost in the fourth season, but doing so again this past season did not, despite the best efforts of Odette Annable and Charlyne Yi.

At the end, House went out the way he spent the entire run of the show, by breaking the rules to get what he wanted. In his wake, he left behind a legacy of 8 mostly strong seasons.